Dialysis machines are known for use in the treatment of renal disease. The two principal dialysis methods are hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). During hemodialysis, the patient's blood is passed through a dialyzer of a hemodialysis machine while also passing dialysate through the dialyzer. A semi-permeable membrane in the dialyzer separates the blood from the dialysate within the dialyzer and allows diffusion and osmosis exchanges to take place between the dialysate and the blood stream. During peritoneal dialysis, the patient's peritoneal cavity is periodically infused with dialysate or dialysis solution. The membranous lining of the patient's peritoneum acts as a natural semi-permeable membrane that allows diffusion and osmosis exchanges to take place between the solution and the blood stream. Automated peritoneal dialysis machines, called PD cyclers, are designed to control the entire peritoneal dialysis process so that it can be performed at home, usually overnight, without clinical staff in attendance.
Luer lock-type fittings are known and may be used to achieve leak-free fluid connections in hemodialysis and/or peritoneal dialysis machines. Luer lock-type fittings 105 may be used in smaller scale fluid flow, for example, being sized to connect a fluid line to a pneumatic reservoir for pressure and vacuum chambers 100 in a hemodialysis and/or peritoneal dialysis machine, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B.
A luer lock-type fitting 105 may include a male luer lock fitting 150 and a female luer lock fitting 160 as illustrated in FIG. 1C, so that at least a portion 110 of a first end 150a of the male luer lock fitting 150 is receivable into at least a portion 115 of a first end 160a of the female luer lock fitting 160. The male luer lock fitting 150 may be connectable to tubing at a second end 150b, and a second end 160b of the female luer lock fitting 160 may be connectable to at least one of the pressure and vacuum chambers 100 in the hemodialysis and/or hemodialysis dialysis machine.
During manufacture of the hemodialysis and/or peritoneal dialysis machines and systems, the luer lock-type fittings 105 may be installed and removed several times throughout the manufacturing process. This may occur for one or more reasons, including but not limited to sub-assembly processes, testing and calibration procedures, and, if necessary, rework procedures. A plurality of luer lock-type fittings 105 may be incorporated on each hemodialysis and/or peritoneal dialysis machine, and with many devices being assembled each day, operators may be hand assembling and/or disassembling several hundred luer lock-type fittings 105 per day.
It may be disadvantageous to hand assemble and disassemble these fittings because operator error may be introduced by improperly, completely, and/or otherwise ineffectively tightening the connections, which may result in leaks in the pneumatic system. Additionally, over time this hand assembly and disassembly of several hundred luer lock fittings each day may cause musculoskeletal injury to operators, as it may be difficult to grip a small area of each of the male and female luer lock fittings to properly tighten and loosen as necessary. To avoid hand assembly and reduce hand/joint discomfort, makeshift tools (e.g., pliers, grips, etc.) may damage the components and still risk improper or incomplete tightening of the components such that leaks may still occur in the pneumatic reservoir.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present improvements may be useful.